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    • Home
    • About
      • What is WAWH?
      • Board & Committees
      • WAWH History
      • Presidents
      • W-A-W-H Song
    • Members
      • Join the WAWH
      • Member Bookshelf
      • WAWH in the World
      • Wall of Experts
    • Conferences
      • Past Conferences
      • 2026 Conference
      • Future Conferences
    • Awards
      • Awards Overview
      • Ridge - Article
      • Kanner - Primary Sources
      • Chaudhuri - Book
      • Keller-Sierra - Book
      • Renner - Teaching
      • Gold - Conference Paper
      • Founders - Grad Research
      • Perry - Student Poster
      • Lifetime Service
      • Award Bylaws
    • Donate
    • Contact

  • Home
  • About
    • What is WAWH?
    • Board & Committees
    • WAWH History
    • Presidents
    • W-A-W-H Song
  • Members
    • Join the WAWH
    • Member Bookshelf
    • WAWH in the World
    • Wall of Experts
  • Conferences
    • Past Conferences
    • 2026 Conference
    • Future Conferences
  • Awards
    • Awards Overview
    • Ridge - Article
    • Kanner - Primary Sources
    • Chaudhuri - Book
    • Keller-Sierra - Book
    • Renner - Teaching
    • Gold - Conference Paper
    • Founders - Grad Research
    • Perry - Student Poster
    • Lifetime Service
    • Award Bylaws
  • Donate
  • Contact

About Us

A group of nine members pose together at the 2001 conference.

What is the WAWH?

The Western Association of Women Historians was founded in 1969 to promote the interests of women historians both in academic settings and in the field of history generally. It is the largest of the North American regional women’s historical associations, drawing membership from the western United States and Canada, as well as other regions. The WAWH promotes the interests of women historians by:


  • holding annual conferences where members present scholarship and other intellectual work
  • publicly promoting its members' publications, projects, and initiatives
  • recognizing and honoring members’ achievements
  • mentoring members at every career stage
  • fostering the next generation of scholars
  • creating networking opportunities


Learn more about our awards, conferences, and membership by clicking the links in this sentence or in the navigation bar at the top of this page.


The Western Association of Women Historians is an inclusive organization that encourages the participation of all historians. Our members practice historical research and thinking in a wide variety of professions. While our mission focuses on women (due to their historical underrepresentation in professional history fields), all people with a professional interest in history are welcome to join and participate. 

Our History

The brainchild of historians Linda Kerber and Grace Larson, the WAWH was born on the California coast in 1969.  Click on the button below to read more about the history of the organization, its leadership, past conferences, its logo, and even its website.

Read more History

Our Constitution & Bylaws

Members may access the current version of the WAWH Constitution & Bylaws through the membership site. Find Constitution & Bylaws in the "posts" section.


Members, be sure to read the August 29, 2024 email titled "2024 Vote: WAWH Constitution and Bylaws" to access and vote on the proposed updated document. 

Our Newsletter

Members may now access more than 50 years of WAWH history through back issues of The Networker in the newsletter archive (link to through the membership site). 

Our Song

It is our tradition to close the annual conference and Saturday night Awards Banquet by singing our organization’s anthem, the W-A-W-H song. Sung to the tune of Julia Ward Howe’s Battle Hymn of the Republic, the song pays homage to our organization’s origins and some of the reasons that we continue to gather annually. Check out the lyrics HERE.

Affiliations

The WAWH supports the maintenance of regional and national ties by maintaining direct links with the following organizations.


Coordinating Council for Women in History (CCWH)

American Historical Association (AHA) Committee on Gender Equity

Pacific Coast Branch of the American Historical Association 

Berkshire Conference of Women Historians 

Connect With Us on Social Media

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